(The Nostalgia Critic is wearing a Batman mask, but not the full costume. He then speaks like Michael Keaton's Batman)

NC: Hello, I'm Batman. I remember it because I'm Batman. Today, we're gonna look at one of the greatest animated shows that ever hit television: Batman: The Animated Series. By the way, you weigh a little more than 108. (Changes back to his regular voice) Okay, I'm sorry. I can't do Keaton very well. Uh, let's try Christian Bale. (He then speaks in Christian Bale's gravely Batman voice) This cartoon just showed you that it's full of people ready to believe in good- (Changes back to his regular voice) Okay, that's not going to work. Uh, let's try Val Kilmer. (He then speaks in Kilmer's soft Batman voice for a brief moment) I'll get drive-thru....(Back to his regular voice) Okay, that's definitely not gonna happen. Uh, let's try George Clooney. (pause) Hi, I'm George Clooney. Okay, fuck this shit! (takes off the mask) I'm just doing it as myself!

Footage of Batman: The Animated Series starts playing.

NC (voiceover): Yes, I've gone on record several times stating that Batman: The Animated Series is the best nostalgic show ever, as well as one of the best cartoons of all time. It was dark, it was tragic, it was funny, it was goofy, it was serious. It had something for everybody. But which episodes were the absolute best? Which ones left the greatest impact on us, whether it be action-packed or dramatically heartbreaking? There's a lot to choose from and I promise I'll try to keep my spoilers to a minimum. Oh, except maybe this one: (shows a poster of Batman & Robin)BATMAN & ROBIN SUCKS!

NC: The only downside is, I don't have any more Batman's to imitate. Oh, wait a minute, Kevin Conroy! That's fitting! Hold on, let me just take some testosterone pills here. (He swallows them and a thud is heard; now speaking in a deeper voice) Whoa! My testicles just hit the floor! This is the Top 11 Best Batman: Animated Series Episodes. (pauses) I don't wear hockey pads!

Interlude showing the opening to Batman: The Animated Series is being played with NC's face in Batman's mask Photoshopped over the original face.

Contents

NC (VO): Number 11- “Beware the Gray Ghost”. Though a good episode, a lot of it holds up particularly well because of the celebrity voice they used, but I'll get to that in a second. The episode centers around an old TV show called "The Gray Ghost" that Bruce Wayne used to watch as a kid. Years later, it turns out some psycho is imitating one of the villains from the show, and since all the episodes were destroyed, Batman goes to the star himself, The Gray Ghost, for help.

Simon Trent: I'm just an actor. The Gray Ghost was a part I played.

Batman: The bombings in Gotham are exactly like an episode of "The Gray Ghost". I need you to remember how it was done.

NC (VO): It's a good episode because it's a decent mystery, it's neat to see Bruce Wayne's inspiration, as well as actually some happy flashbacks to his childhood, and it also shows the dramatic downside to both having and losing fame. Although I will admit, it's a little weird to see Batman actually go fanboy for somebody. I mean, when you're a kid, it's one thing, but the idea of Batman, the Dark Knight, having a little shrine in his Batcave dedicated to a TV show? Jesus, Batman! You're a dork!

Batman: As a kid, I used to watch you with my father. The Gray Ghost was my hero.

NC (VO): But what really makes the episode stand out is who they got to play the Gray Ghost. None other than the original TV Batman himself: Adam West. (a picture of Adam West is shown)

Gray Ghost: Like you said, you need my help.

NC (VO): Rather than just make a funny little joke that two Batmans are in the same show, they actually demonstrate a lot of dignity in having these two together, and even cleverly mirror some of the realities that really did go on with the original Batman shows, but never to a point where it's insulting or it's satirical.

Batman: I used to admire what the Gray Ghost stood for.

Simon Trent: I'm not the Gray Ghost!

Batman: I can see that now.

NC (VO): It was a real respect to this team-up, and it shows in just how much effort the writers and directors put into it. We became passionate about the episode because they became passionate about the episode. Two Batmans for the price of one. What's not to like?

NC (VO): Number 10- "The Man Who Killed Batman". This one gets overlooked a lot, but it really is a gem. A little twerp named the Squid wants to make a name for himself as a big time gangster. But nobody wants him because he's a timid little screw-up.

Mobster 1: Why did you bring along that loser? He's useless.

Mobster 2: Not as bait for Batman! He'll be too busy kicking the crud out of Sid to notice us.

NC (VO): But it turns out he stumbles upon a bit of luck when he accidentally knocks Batman off a cliff and apparently kills him.

Sid: He came right at me. I was just trying to get away and he went over the side!

Mobster 2: Sid the Squid just offed the Batman!

NC (VO): Suddenly, he’s the most notorious criminal in town, and everybody is in awe of his accomplishment.

Thug: Suddenly, I’m thinking: if I take down the guy who took down Batman, then I’ll be the toughest guy in town.

Sid: Hey, you got my vote, chief!

NC (VO): But again, with that fame comes a price. People start to challenge him to fights, others try to murder him, even the Joker seems mighty pissed off that there’s no more fun to be had with the mythical Dark Knight.

Joker: There’s a certain rhythm to these things. I cause trouble. He shows up. We have some laughs and the game starts all over again. Without Batman, crime has no punch line.

Joker: It’s time to look ahead to a future filled with smiles. Just as soon as we take that man there (pointing to Sid), and slap him in that box there (pointing to a coffin), and roll him into that vat of acid there! (points to a large vat of acid)

NC (VO): And for the record, Harley’s kazoo playing is nowhere near as good as Paw’s kazoo playing. (shows a clip from Suburban Knights Part 7) It’s a classic case of a person who wanted fame and attention, but wasn’t ready for the pain and responsibility that came with it.

Rupert Thorne: No one's that lucky or stupid!

Sid: Yes, I am!

NC (VO): The story is great, the scenes with the Joker are hilarious, and actor Matt Frewer as the Squid really makes a perfect comic foil.

Sid: Oh, (chuckles) sorry about the leather.

NC (VO): It’s a perfectly told tale of what happens when too much recognition comes to the wrong person, at the wrong time.

NC (VO): Number 9- “Mad Love”. One of the show’s crowning achievements was the creation of Harley Quinn, who has since become many people’s favorite Batman character. But we’ve never actually known her history. They’ve hinted at it before and dropped clues here and there, but they’ve never given us the straight-up details about how she ended up with the Joker. Well, this is the episode that sets it all straight. It turns out Harley was an intern at Arkham Asylum and was looking to cash in on one of the high profile criminals to write a tell-all book about it.

Harley: You can’t deny there’s an element of glamour to these super criminals.

Dr. Leland: I’ll warn you right now, these are hardcore psychotics. If you’re thinking about cashing in on them, think again.

NC (VO): But when she started interviewing the Joker, he played to her weaknesses and his mind game slowly started to sink in. And just like The Dark Knight, we have no idea if his past story is the real one or a false one.

Joker: My father used to beat me up pretty badly. Every time I got out of line, BAM!

Joker (Heath Ledger): And one night, he goes off crazier than usual.

NC (VO): It’s also the first time we get a very strong indicator that the Joker and Harley have...

NC: Well, made whoopee cushion.

NC (VO): I mean, it was hinted at before, but this scene pretty much cements that they’ve been together.

NC (VO): Because of that, we see in more detail just how violent the relationship is between the two of them, and how the Joker is, and always has, used her as just a means to an end.

Joker: You’ve forgotten what I told you a long time ago. You always take shots from folks who just don’t get the joke! (He then pushes Harley through a window and watches her fall) And don’t call me “Puddin”.

NC (VO): It’s actually a pretty tragic look at abusive relationships in general. And no matter just how tormenting one can be to the other, there’s always something that keeps the other coming back for more. Yeah ("Doctors Wear Miniskirts?" and an arrow appear), there’s quite a bit of fan service and I don’t know why the Joker looks like Mickey Mouse (a picture of Mickey Mouse shows up)*, but it’s still a solid episode that finally fills us in with all the questions we had about our favorite henchwoman, and it didn’t disappoint with the answers.

Note: This episode is from The New Adventures of Batman where the art style was drastically changed.

NC (VO): Number 8- “Birds of a Feather”. This is another one that’s often overlooked. The Penguin, who’s considered one of the more sophisticated of the criminals, decides he wants to change his way and become a civilized bird once he makes parole. And he means it. He actually starts to change his ways and tries to blend in as an average citizen. He finds, though, that nobody’s waiting for him and nobody’s happy for his return, especially Batman.

Penguin: Haven’t you heard? I’ve reformed.

Batman: Wherever you go, I’ll be right behind you.

NC (VO): But it turns out an extremely rich woman named Veronica wants to date the Penguin so she can make the headlines by inviting him to her party.

Veronica: I’ve just snagged the Penguin for my party.

Bruce Wayne: Why?

Piers: For the entertainment, dodo. Can’t you just see their faces when that stuffed capon walks in?

NC (VO): She’s pretty much dating him as a joke, just a means to get attention from other rich people. She quickly finds, though, that he’s not as charming as she thought, and, well, is pretty fucking gross. But the attention she’s getting is far too much for her to pass up. While she’s dating him mostly to make fun of him, the Penguin takes it very seriously, and even starts to fall in love with her. And after an incident where he saves her life, even she starts to see a little bit of good in him.

Veronica: You know, it was quite touching, actually. It’s not often that a man rushes to my rescue. Unfortunately, he wants to see me again.

NC (VO): But like all tragic tales, the truth is revealed at just the wrong moment, which causes the Penguin’s heart to be broken and return back to his villainous ways. The episode is actually very similar to another one called “Harley’s Holiday” where Harley Quinn starts a new life for herself, finds it hard to fit in, and also tragically gets thrown back to her old ways. But this one takes its time a little bit more. It shows how involved the Penguin really got into the relationship, and how close he really was to turning over a new leaf. It’s more detailed, it’s more cruel, and therefore more sad. Not only does the Penguin almost truly reform himself, but Veronica almost does, too. And if it didn’t all spawn from such a cruel joke, maybe both these people could have turned out to be better.

Veronica: I really was growing fond of you. It’s too bad this had to happen.

The Penguin: I suppose it’s true what they say: Society is to blame. High society.

NC (VO): It’s a tale of what could have been and what shouldn’t be done. Ain’t love a bitch?

NC (VO): Number 7- “Two-Face”. Considered one of the most depressing of the Batman villains, Harvey ‘Two-Face’ Dent is a criminal with a deep and complex backstory. He suffers from an extreme split personality, which causes him to flip-flop from a kind, intelligent politician…

NC: There’s so few.

NC (VO): ...to a bloodthirsty monster who lunges out at random. He has bad dreams, hears the voice in his head, and at the worst case scenario, he actually becomes the other personality.

Therapist: I would like to talk with Big Bad Harv. (There's a flash of lightning and a silhouette of Two-Face's soon-to-be disfigured face appears for a split second)

Harvey: I don’t think he wants to talk.

Therapist: Please try.

Harvey now has an evil look on his face and starts flipping his trademark two-headed silver dollar.

Therapist: Big Bad Harv?

Big Bad Harv (now talking with Two-Face’s voice): Speaking.

NC (VO): What makes this character so good in the show is that the transformation episode isn’t the first time we see Harvey. They’ve actually established him several episodes before. He hangs out with Bruce Wayne, goes on dates, helps out the Commissioner, so he was a completely set-up character that we really got to like. So when this episode came out, it was a genuine shock to see the demons he was battling.

Big Bad Harv: If anyone’s leaving, it’s Mr. Goody-Good!

He then breaks a window.

Big Bad Harv: And maybe you with him! (He grabs the therapist who snaps her fingers and he returns to his normal self, dropping the two-headed silver dollar)

Harvey: (Now speaking in normal voice) Did I do this?

NC (VO): Instead of acid being thrown in his face, we have an explosion that destroys half of his body. To see this character permanently lose himself to the other personality is just gut-wrenching. Throw in a tragic childhood, the fact that he had a fiancée, and on top of that, we even have the guilt that Batman feels for not being able to save his best friend. I mean, just look at some of these dream sequences.

Dream is shown.

Batman: Harvey, please! Let me help you!

Harvey falls into a vat of acid.

Two-Face: Why couldn’t you save me?

The scene cuts dramatically to Bruce’s parents.

Bruce’s Father: Why couldn’t you save us, son?

Bruce wakes up with a fright.

NC (VO): JESUS, MAN! Couldn’t you throw like a happy face in there or something? (A picture of a happy face is shown)

NC (VO): The angles are great, the shadows are great, the animation is great, it’s just a great episode. “Two-Face” is just another addition to the lost souls that makes this show so friggin’ hardcore.

NC (VO): Number 6- “Over the Edge”. Now with a title like that, you know some shit has to go down in this episode. And by God, it does! Get a load of this opening: It starts out with Batman and Robin being chased by Commissioner Gordon and his men trying to gun them down right after they arrest Alfred.

NC: And the award (an superimposed award appears) for Best "What the Fuck?!?!?!" Opening goes to…that!

NC (VO): I mean, holy fuck! That’s one hell of a way to start out! But that’s nothing, that’s just the intro! Every "holy shit" moment you can imagine happens right after this. We find out in a flashback that because of a fight with the Scarecrow, Batgirl gets killed, smashes into her father’s car, and Gordon then finds out that she was his daughter the whole time.

Commissioner Gordon: How could you? I worked with you, trusted you. And you never told me?

NC (VO): He quickly discovers who Batman is, goes full force in taking him down, Nightwing is taken to jail, Robin is told to turn himself in; Gordon even makes a deal with Bane to go after Batman, knowing he’ll show up to his daughter’s funeral! Good fuckity hell!

Commissioner Gordon: There’s no place to run, Wayne. I want him alive! Alive to rot away in Arkham, surrounded by the monsters he’s created.

NC (VO): How can anyone not like a setup like this? It’s intense, it’s action-packed, it’s just awesome. Now the problem that most people have with this episode is the ending. And… yeah, I’d be lying if I said I thought it wasn’t a bit of a cop out, too. I don’t know, maybe it’s because we could all see it coming and I guess we sort of thought they throw a better twist on top of it, but, it’s not one of the stronger endings. Despite that, though, the majority of the episode still holds up pretty strong. And it’s still a great ‘what if...?’ story. It’s dark, it’s brooding, and the scenario is pretty extreme. And for those wondering how the ending could have been improved, join me over at pick number five.

NC (VO): Number 5- “Perchance to Dream”. This is if the “Over the Edge” episode was fully realized, though taking sort of an opposite approach. Bruce Wayne wakes up one morning and finds that everything in his life has actually changed for the best. His parents are alive, he’s marrying the woman he loves, and there’s even somebody else who's doing the job of Batman.

Bruce: Selina, does the name Catwoman ring a bell?

Selina: Bruce, you’re beginning to worry me. What’s this all about?

NC (VO): He can’t understand why, and, even though everything is just how he’s always wanted it, and even at one point starts to accept it, there’s still a twinge of darkness that won’t let him leave it alone.

Bruce: No! You’re a lie! It’s all a lie!

NC (VO): Is it madness breaking through sanity, or sanity breaking through madness? Questions keep knocking back and forth in his head until it builds up to the ultimate showdown: Bruce Wayne vs. his alter ego Batman.

Batman: You’re not well, Mr. Wayne. You need professional help.

Bruce: Liar!

NC (VO): The way he finds out that everything isn’t as it seems is clever, but I don’t know, I still sorta question it. Watch the episode to see what I’m talking about. But still, that’s not what makes it good, though. What makes it good is not only his longing to lead a normal life, and his actual enjoyment of it for a little while, but finding out just who is behind all this and how it’s being kept going. In fact, if you listen to the musical theme, the answer is actually given to you very early on.

A clip with the musical score is shown.

NC (VO): Little touches like that are great, and it’s nice to see what Bruce Wayne’s life would have been like had it not been for the one tragic night. It builds up the sadness and brings on the darkness. It’s a dream that could never be and even harder to let go.

NC (VO): Number 4- “Heart of Ice”. Much like how the show created Harley Quinn, they also recreated Mr. Freeze, giving him a very different and much darker backstory. Freeze, in this version, was originally a scientist trying to find a cure for his deathly ill wife who he has cryogenically frozen to save her. Once he goes over budget, though, his boss comes in to shut the experiment down, dooming his chances of ever seeing her again.

Dr. Victor Fries: It’s her only chance!

Ferris Boyle: This is my equipment!

Dr. Victor Fries: No!

NC (VO): Freeze tries to fight them off, but gets knocked into a bunch of various chemicals that do all those creative things that a bunch of (pictures of Jack Nicholson's Joker, the Green Goblin, and Captain Pollution) various chemicals do. In this case, make it impossible for him to live without being in sub-zero temperatures.

Mr. Freeze: It would move me to tears if I still had tears to shed.

NC (VO): Thus, that’s where the freeze suit comes from, and that’s where his cold outlook on the world originates.

Freeze: I can only beg your forgiveness, and pray you’ll hear me somehow. Some place, where a warm hand waits for mine.

NC (VO): The backstory was so good, that now everybody uses it. The comics, the graphic novels, the TV shows. Even Joel Schumacher, to his credit, knew how powerful the image of a frozen loved one looked.

NC: But that still doesn’t excuse that which-shall-never-be... (stutters as the BAT CREDIT CARD appears)

Batman (George Clooney): Never leave the cave without it.

NC (holding a pair of scissors): Don’t tempt me, Clooney!

NC (VO): The imagery this episode creates is always memorable and often duplicated. It’s the kind of surreal imagery people love to use in Batman stories, and this is the episode that started it all. It made Freeze more than just a guy with a cool gun, it made him a Shakespearean tragedy. The music, as well, adds to the macabre wonder that the episode creates. The atmosphere in every respect is so heavy that the lines practically write themselves.

Freeze: To never again walk on a summer’s day with a hot wind in your face, and a warm hand to hold. Oh, yes. I’d kill for that.

NC (VO): Number 3- “Trial”. This episode brings up something that a lot of Batman fans have brought up for a while. With criminals like the Joker, Two-Face and Clayface, is Batman doing more harm than he is good? Half the time, it seems like he’s almost created these villains. Does it turn out all along that Batman is actually the cause of the majority of misery in Gotham City? Well, all the famous villains get together to find out. They take over Arkham Asylum, capture Batman and force the new district attorney to represent him. The only downside is...

NC: Wait, those were all downsides.

NC (VO): ...the district attorney thinks Batman is just as guilty as the rest of them.

Janet Van Dorn: Not only does Batman create these so-called super-criminals, he takes it upon himself to be their judge and jury with no regard for the legal system.

NC (VO): These are actually very good points. They’re issues that have haunted what Batman is and as well as any other superhero does for a long time. With the Joker as judge and Two-Face as the prosecution, the biggest gathering of villains in the show’s history come together to see if they’ve been wronged by Batman’s vigilantism.

Janet Van Dorn: I suppose you, like your friends, claim that Batman drove you to be a criminal?

Mad Hatter: He did.

Janet Van Dorn: You brainwashed and kidnapped a woman who rejected you.

Mad Hatter: He was going to take her away from me.

Janet Van Dorn: You could’ve respected her wishes.

Mad Hatter: I’d have killed her for it!

NC (VO): It’s a great episode not just for the issues they raise in, but also for the fact that all of your favorite villains are in the same room. And the conclusion that villains come to shows us once again why we love these villains and why they’re so friggin’ interesting to watch. It’s a great idea executed perfectly. The visuals are strong, the lighting is stylish, and it’s just so awesome to see all your favorite baddies share the screen together. It’s also great to see the DA go through her own story arc and come to her own unique conclusion while trying to juggle staying alive in a building of crazies. It’s like a trial in Wonderland, you know, (poster of theAlice in Wonderland remake) if it was done right! Trying to play to the sanity in order, with a world that has little to none.

NC (VO): Number 2- “Baby-Doll”. (Footage of the Familiar Faces episode surrounding Baby-Doll is shown) Many of you might remember my crossover review with CR on Familiar Faces with this episode, so you can probably get much more information about it there. But once again, it’s an episode that is seriously overlooked. It’s about an actress from a sitcom who has a rare disease that keeps her from growing taller.

Batman: She was born with systemic hypoplasia, a rare condition that kept her from aging.

Commissioner Gordon: Could you believe she was 20 years old in that clip?

NC (VO): Crushed by the fact that her career never went anywhere, she becomes deranged and psychologically obsessed with getting the cast back together and staying in her fictional sitcom world.

NC (VO): While this sounds like a funny scenario, and they do point out the silliness of it quite often, it still keeps us grounded in what’s causing it. It addresses the pain that our villain is going through, both with the prejudices of being a little person and being a celebrity, especially an out-of-work celebrity, to a point where you actually feel bad you were laughing at her at earlier scenes. They also acknowledge that she made mistakes that isolated her from her friends and that she feels there’s no other place that’ll accept her anymore except in her own demented imagination.

Baby-Doll: It was hard for me out there. I studied and trained and auditioned, but no one wanted me. Over the years, I remembered how happy I was with all of you around me and the folks at home watching me each week, me. Baby-Doll! (giggles)

NC (VO): They've really dived into what it means to make mistakes, adjusting to them, and having to live with the changes in your identity. Like many great Batman villains, she comes off as being creepy, intimidating, and also kind of funny. But it’s the third act that really becomes the emotional tearjerker. I won’t give too much away here, but let’s just say, it’s one of the most heartbreaking moments in the Batman series. And given the line-up that we’ve had on this show, that’s saying a lot!

Baby-Doll: Why couldn’t you just let me make believe?!?

NC (VO): It’s a great episode with a great villain, and a great ending. It’s easily among one of the best.

NC (VO): And the Number 1 best Batman: The Animated Series Episode is- “Almost Got ‘Im”. This is just a perfect episode. The setup: what can I say? It’s incredible. The Joker, the Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and Croc, are all playing poker together. That image alone is fantastic. But it gets interesting when they start betting on who’s come the closest to killing off Batman.

The Penguin: I’ve come the closest.

Ivy: Are you kidding? I was the one who nearly-

Two-Face: Nobody’s come closer to snuffing the Batman than me!

Joker: The fact of the matter is, we each have an "almost got ‘im!" Batman story. I know mine's the best, but let’s hear yours anyway.

NC (VO): So each one tells their own tale about how they almost got ‘im. The stories are creative, the action is strong, and the ways they’ve almost done him in actually are pretty damn entertaining. But it’s the interaction off one another that really makes this one the best.

Two-Face: Half of me wants to strangle ya.

Ivy: And what does the other half want?

Two-Face: To hit you with a truck.

Ivy: We used to date.

Joker & Penguin: Ah!

NC (VO): It’s not sad, it’s not tragic, it’s not really even that dark, it’s just the villains chilling out being the villains. And you know what? That’s pretty fucking cool. Most people realize that the strength of Batman comes from half of him and half from his opponents. So the more real and identifiable they are, the more drawn in we become. This is the episode where the villains seem the most human. They’re not up to anything, they’re not planning any evil schemes, they’re just playing cards. It’s actually nice to see them just relax and be themselves. And the dialogues they have are just great, including one of the funniest moments in any of the shows.

Joker: Anyone else want a go?

Croc: ME! There I was holed up in this quarry, when Batman came nosin’ around.

Ivy: And?

Croc: I threw a rock at him!

Awkward silence. The villains have a WTF look on their faces.

Croc: It was a big rock...

NC (VO): It’s also the first time the show had five of the major villains in one room. This would be upstaged later with the "Trial" episode, but for the time, this was pretty friggin' awesome that we saw this. (A photo of the main villains from the 1966 Batman movie comes up) It’s sort of like when all the villains got together in the Batman movie, it’s just so cool to see them work off each other. The writing is great, the animation is great, the stories are great, and it even builds up to a bit of a twist at the end, to show that the episode actually did serve a purpose outside of just seeing the bad guys shoot the shit. But like I said, it’s the interaction of the bad guys that makes it so perfect, the way they work off each other and even poke fun at each other’s flaws.

The Penguin (VO): Prepare to meet your end within my aviary of doom!

Ivy: Aviary of what?

Joker: Yeesh, Pengers! How corny can you get?

The Penguin: Fah!

NC (VO): It’s just an awesome episode, and it makes these characters seem surprisingly much more three-dimensional than if there was an entire episode dedicated to one of them. It’s just everybody doing what they do and doing it at their best. It’s an absolutely perfect episode.

Catwoman: Hmm...almost got ‘im.

NC: And those are my Top 11 Batman: The Animated Series episodes. One of the greatest shows of all time! Now, for those of you who didn’t see your favorite episodes on the list, here’s my runners-up. (The words "BITE ME!" flash quickly) There you go. I’m the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it so you don’t have to.